The stove has gone cold at Queen Trini Lisa’s 9th Ward quick mart aka Hank’s Meat Market. We knew it was going to be a tough row to hoe when Miss Lisa lost her alcohol license last summer. But do not despair, Queen Trini Lisa will be bringing her Caribbean cuisine to Roux Carre, 2000 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd from January 30 to February 11th 2018.

Ooh Poo Pah Doo Bar in Treme is no more. The building now holds Jokers Wyld & Mickeys Playhouse. We spoke with a girlfriend of Ooh Poo Pah Doo owner Judy Hill, and she informed us that Hill is looking at starting over in a new space as soon as possible.

The new concern will also feature a restaurant. Anybody that ate from Judy Hill’s crockpots knows that woman can flat cook.

At her one year anniversary party we showed up with a big pan of jambalaya straight from the Scrumptious Chef kitchen, and were greatly chuffed when Hill declared it the finest she’d ever eaten.

Ooh Poo Pah Doo was our favorite bar in New Orleans for some time, and we lost count of how many sweaty nights we enjoyed on Hill’s dancefloor.

The old L.A. Frey & Sons Meat Packing Plant is being torn down today (August 3rd 2017). The complex has a track hoe sitting on top of it and a crew of workmen are busy deconstructing the former concern.

L.A. Frey & Sons Meat Packing Plant was constructed in 1921 at a cost of $10k. The dimensions are enormous: a 52,500 sf building adjacent to a 15,000 sf empty parcel, plus a 14,000 sf office building with an 8,100 sf parking lot.

New Orleanians of a certain age (really old) will remember Frey’s ad campaign featuring the slogan “Demand The Brand” Frey’s frankfurters were banded together in the fashion of machine gun cartridges with paper bands connecting the links.

Frey Meats was founded in 1865 by Alsatian Andreas Frey when he was 58 years old. At one point Frey Meats employed 450 people.

D.L Menard has passed away and our hearts are broken. The legend from Erath, Louisiana died yesterday Thursday July 28th 2017. Born as Doris Leon Menard to Ophy and Helena Primeaux Menard in 1932 in Vermillion Parish, the lanky country man commanded stages around the globe, and brought Cajun string band music to millions of listeners. We wrote a piece on the great man barely one month ago.

“As God gathered Adam as clay in His palm, He blew dust to life just as Adam blew grain to flour, and flour to life.”

Continental Provisions has shuttered. The fancy, European-style charcuterie and cheese shop in New Orleans’ French Market sold its last Culatello hoagie on July 1st. We used the company for their Bellegarde bread (Graison Gill was one of the owners) and as a high-end cheese source for breakfast tacos.

Two years ago we featured Continental Provisions in our 500 po boys series.

Nick’s Grocery, an old timey boudain shop in Port Arthur, Texas is shuttering. Nick and Dorothy Nicotre opened the store on Sept. 2, 1959.

Son of the founders, owner Nick Nicotre, 75, is plumb tired. He attempted to find a buyer to keep the concern ongoing but did not have any luck. After 47 years slinging boudin we understand. It’s a hard life making and selling upwards of 500lbs of boudin per day.

Reports swirling out of Port Arthur of long lines and bare shelves have been confirmed by a buddy’s parents who tried to run by and get a few links for old times sake. They were not successful.